Cocaine, heroin trafficking hits Saharan countries

New York - Trafficking in cocaine in West Africa and heroin in East Africa has now found its way into Sahel countries of Chad, Niger and Mali, the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said Tuesday. UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa told the UN Security Council that North Africa's Maghreb region would inevitably become involved in the lucrative drug trafficking.

"Like in the Andes and in West Asia, terrorists and anti-government forces in the Sahel extract resources from the drug trade to fund their operations, purchase equipment and pay foot soldiers," Costa said.

He said drugs, which had been hauled by caravans, are now flown across the Sahara desert, evidenced by the crash in November of a Boeing 727 after takeoff from an illegal airstrip near Gao, Mali, an area affected by insurgency and terrorism.

"It is scary that this new example of the links between drugs, crime and terrorism was discovered by chance following the plane crash," Costa said.

UNODC has been reporting heavy trafficking and use of drugs in countries in West Africa, which has been the transit point for drug trafficking from South America to Europe. The discovery of new drug trafficking routes in the Sahel raised prospects of the spreading practice and use of drugs as local currency.

It said 50 to 60 tons of cocaine have been trafficked each year through West Africa, particularly Guinea Bissau, which has become a producer of the synthetic drug amphetamine and of crystal cocaine. In East Africa, 30 to 35 tons of heroin are trafficked each year, with the number of drug additions rising as well as HIV infections.

Costa urged the 15-nation council to call on governments to strengthen the capacity to fight drug trafficking by improving the judicial system and rule of law.

He called for the creation of a trans-Saharan crime monitoring network to improve intelligence gathering and sharing and for African regions to cooperate to fight drug trafficking.

The proposals received support from governments attending the briefing on drug problems in Africa.